Amateur Radio/Scanner & Linux blog

My place in cyberspace for thinking out loud about the Three Rivers Area Montioring Association and its Sunday evening Pittsburgh Area Scanner Net as well as ham radio and the Linux operating system. Feel free to email me with your commenets.

Saturday, March 06, 2010

iPhone on echoLink

Special operational note: On February 28, 2010 I (K3WS) used my Apple Iphone running the EchoLink Application (yes there is an App for that) connected to the N3YFO-R Echolink node (#295354) (which is connected to the 145.210Cambria County Repeater) to check in to our Sunday night ARES RACES Net. I might also mention I was mobile traveling East on Rt. 70 out of Breezewood PA. I received excellent audio reports. I remained connected until I signed off and disconnected about 10 Miles from Fredrick MD. It seems that the Echolink App for Iphone allows a relay function that is not blocked by a firewall. It is a very nice way to use an Iphone like an HT. I plan on trying to work one of my HF remote base rigs from the Iphone in the future.

Monday, March 01, 2010

The Pittsburgh Marathon is back!

I am passing along this email from N3NHS and hope that you will pass along the word.

Fellow Amateurs...

The Pittsburgh marathon is back for another run this spring! May 2, 2010 will be the date of the marathon's 21st running, and with registration already exceeding last year's participation of over 10,000 runners, it will will be the largest in the history of the event. Once again, amateur radio has been asked to help make this event a success.

We will be providing communications vital to ensuring the safety both of those athletes running in the marathon and of the many spectators. There are many positions around the 26.2 mile course that need to be covered, including mile markers, aid stations, buses and sweep vehicles, shadows for race officials, and others. To fully cover all of these positions, we will need over 150 volunteer amateur radio operators, including you!

If you're new to the hobby or have never participated in a public service event, please don't let that stop you from joining us. We have a variety of positions for new and experienced hams alike, and will provide you with the information and support you need. This is an excellent opportunity to gain the experience needed to help out during an emergency, all while having fun and doing a service to our community.

Online registration is quick and easy. Just visit marathon.central.org, click "Volunteer Now!", and fill out the form. You will receive your assignment and detailed instructions during the last week of April. There will also be a pre-race meeting the day before the marathon, at which we'll review what to expect on race day, answer any questions you have, and provide your T-shirt, hat, vest, and marathon credentials.